Dawns are New Beginnings
by kakura sagami
Summary: A new war is about to emerge. the Akatsuki agreed to a truce with Konoha to defeat the new enemy. Sakura isn't in Konoha since she left to train with Kiba and Chouji. When they return, will new feelings ensue? itasaku
1. Prologue

**Prologue**

The silver moon shone bright above the village of Konoha, illuminating the parts of the village it could reach without the buildings and huge rocks getting in the way. It was already past midnight, a time when most normal people were already home, resting peacefully with their loved ones.

That wasn't the case for one person.

A lone figure stumbled in a dark alley, its small form hidden beneath a cloak which was obviously intended for a larger person, its sleeves hid her whole arm but did nothing to conceal the bottle of liquor which was being held tightly by a small hand, its slender fingers wrapped securely around the bottle's neck.

The dark figure stumbled again, nearly falling flat but somehow managing to hold on to the post nearby. Long pink tresses started cascading on the person's back from the sloppy clips it was held up in as she tried to balance herself. Abandoning the bottle she had held dearly just a moment ago she continued onwards.

Without the bottle to occupy her other hand she had managed to walk straight for a few steps before tumbling down. The right side of her delicate face fell first, making a soft thud echo across the alley.

A soft groan escaped from the person as she tried to get up again, her form going wobbly for a second. Realizing that it was futile since she could barely move her arms, she gave up.

She didn't know how long she had stayed there, face on the dusty concrete, but the taste of copper mixing with the dust she that had entered her mouth when she fell was starting to choke her. Trying to put as much strength in her arms she managed to raise her upper body and sat down heavily against the post she had held on to earlier, coughing all the way. Managing to spit out most of the blood from her mouth she managed to sigh with relief.

"Dammit" Sakura muttered softly.

Her glazed eyes gazed down beside her, at the bottle she had dropped earlier in hopes of balancing herself, its brownish liquid leaking down the street as the smell attacked her nostrils. It would have looked absolutely appalling had she been thinking clearly but her intoxication got the best of her and she picked it up.

Wiping the bottle with her cloak she had managed to get most of the dirt off, she drank the contents greedily, some liquid dribbling from the side of her mouth as the hot liquid burned her throat, making it scratchier than it was before.

She didn't know why she drank like this, when the hospital staff had asked her to join them, she had acted on a momentary urge and said 'yes'. And now she was suffering the damage of her impulsiveness. It was not something she did on a regular basis.

Looking up the sky she saw the huge silver orb which was the only thing illuminating the street she was in considering that the street lamp beside her was broken.

It was ironic really, that she, the student of the slug princess who was very well-known for her ability to hold down her liquor, sucked in drinking. It had been something that her teacher was disappointed in her. No matter how many times the woman had asked her to go drinking with her, she had always refused.

After Naruto's 15th birthday she had vowed never to drink again. It had been traumatizing, for her _and _her teammates. Granted, she had only realized what she had done in the morning, when she was sober.

Waking up naked in a bed with muscular arms wrapped around her was enough to leave her shocked to the next century. What was more surprising was that the arms had belonged to one socially-retarded artist.

It even rendered Naruto and Kakashi speechless.

Naruto was very guilty after that, he was the one who insisted that she drink before leaving, a lot. It was just coincidence that Sai was the one who left the same time as her. The thought of the possibility that it could have been Kakashi or Naruto had scared her--disgusted her even, that was why she had never laid a hand on a liquor bottle after that, until tonight that is.

Her relationship with her teammates after that had always been a little strained, well only with Kakashi and Naruto, Sai didn't give it much thought. If she had harbored any feelings for him as she had to Sasuke she would have been hurt by his indifference.

It was a good thing that she didn't.

She wasn't really repulsed by the fact that she did it with him, compared to the thought of actually doing it with Kakashi or Naruto…she seriously thought that she had gotten the least of the three evils.

She didn't know whether he ever really understood the meaning of what they had done. But it did prove one thing, no matter how a man was raised, his testosterone still worked absolutely fine.

The incident was more of a blur to her, but what she remembered was that it felt -- _good_. Of course she had tried to keep that part hidden from everyone else; she doubted that Sai would even want to indulge in such acts again anyway. But it had scared her, she knew that she still loved Sasuke – no – she was_ still_ in love with him. That she could have sex with someone she didn't love had shattered all childish romance naïveté she had.

After that mistake she had tried to bury herself in work despite her teammates' urgings that that the 'thing' that happened between her and Sai was just an accident. Her decision had caused Naruto to have a big argument with Sai, though it was only Naruto who shouted.

She had been hurt after that, she didn't' care for Sai but she had expected her first time to be special. She had wanted to lose it to someone she cared for, someone she loved. Someone she expected to marry, actually.

It was a shame that she wasn't really very popular.

No one took much of an interest in her. She knew what her talents, strengths and limits were, and she knew from a very young age that she was very ordinary. In a crowd the only thing which set her apart was her outrageous hair color. Her attitude was very average, every girl was a bitch, it didn't make her special. Her intelligence was only acquired through her extensive reading; she wasn't a natural genius (something that she had bitterly envied those who were for being).

If she really faced the truth, in the shinobi world and the civilian world she was just another face in the crowd.

There wasn't anything to define her as a shinobi, she was just lucky that she was the Godaime's student. She didn't have any special bloodline nor did she come from a shinobi family. She also didn't have any defining techniques.

She was average.

Her only special talent was her chakra control, and that had been somewhat useless in some occasions considering that there wasn't much _chakra_ to control. No matter how hard and vigorously she had trained, her chakra levels only raised slightly. No matter how many secret techniques she had used to widen her chakra passages, it was no use. She had come to the realization that there really wasn't that much chakra in her, she was like an almost dried up well.

It had baffled her completely, even Tsunade had come up with no explanation as to why her chakra was like that. It was probably why she couldn't reach jounin level. She had become a chunnin after Naruto left almost six years ago and she hadn't made any progress after that.

Fighting with shinobi who were just as _or_ more intelligent than her would have caused her to scrape through the exams, but her chakra levels were always the problem. She lost energy half-way through the exams causing her to fail every single time.

Sakura stood up from the ground, dusting the cloak she was wearing and sighed heavily, it wouldn't do her any good if she slept outside. God knows that she'd kill herself if she had the flu in the morning. So with much effort she had walked onward, her apartment was only a block away so she wouldn't have to worry of passing out.

When she reached her apartment she fumbled through her cloak pockets to look for her keys, when she found them she wasted 3 minutes trying to fit the key through the keyhole until she just broke the knob and went in.

Not bothering to close the door she went to her sofa and lay there, thinking.

Her job sucked, ever since her little incident with Sai she had started working full-time in the hospital, she wasn't anything special in the hospital despite the Hokage being her teacher. She wasn't really admired with her civilian patients, they only saw her as a kind, young medic who looked after them, the next day after they left the hospital she became the last thing in their mind. It was the same with her shinobi patients, only a few really took notice of her, and that was only because she was also a shinobi as well.

But she was starting to get rusty, she knew that. Ever since she had started working in the hospital she had rarely trained like before, there were the occasional spar with the dummy and the weights training but she had been getting negligent for some time now. She hadn't been in any missions for about a year, and the previous ones before that had always only about needing her as back-up or a medic.

It was then that it hit her.

Hard

She was starting to fade from the shinobi world.

That was why she rarely saw her old friends now, she didn't get to meet Ino or any of the other kunoichi just like before. Sakura frowned, it wasn't only the kunoichis… when was actually the last time she had actually _seen _her teammates? A week? Two weeks? A month? _Oh_ _god_, had she been ignoring them that badly? She had worked her ass off in the hospital and ignored her shinobi status unwittingly.

And when was the last time she had been in a dangerous mission that wasn't C-class?

She was starting to become a civilian

That was why she didn't pass her jounin exams. She didn't see enough action nowadays that she was sure that if she was sent to a mission in the morning she would definitely be a burden to her teammates.

She was loosing the one thing that gave her the thrill and importance of living.

She didn't know when it began, maybe before she had had sex with Sai. She had started to get careless, she wasn't anything much to begin with but now that she had stopped being aware of the happenings in her life then she was screwed as a shinobi.

She was eighteen now, more than three years wasted.

Too much

It was too much time wasted.

Maybe if she had kept her focus like after Sasuke had left she would be a Jounin like most of the ones in her age group. But no, she had to mix her personal life and duty, she had started pitying herself, she had started reverting back to the person she detested when she was younger.

It had brought her down.

Her hands started shaking, whether it was from fear or shock, she didn't know. But she had to think of something, fast.

What could she do to start making things right? Start training tomorrow?

No, she couldn't just stop working in the hospital, it was what was supporting her living expenses for god's sake. If she stopped now her parents would pick her from the streets. She couldn't be dependent on them any longer.

What was the solution for her problems? Who could she ask for help? Someone who was willing enough to listen and someone she was comfortable enough to rant to obviously. Ino was out of the question, she was her best friend but she wouldn't know how to solve her own problems. Naruto, Kakashi and Sai were all out on a mission, they had been gone for a couple of weeks already. She couldn't ask Tsunade, the Hokage had too much in her mind already.

Who?

_Who?_

Were those her only friends?

She was pathetic.

She wasn't like any of her teammates, she was weak…so weak…

She was thinking too hard it made her head throb.

It was then that she decided she'd think of it in the morning, when her head didn't feel like it was being crushed by a hammer.

Right now she'd just sleep, just sleep…

* * *

**A/N: I know I said this would be out before 2009 but I was sick. I spent my Christmas holidays and New Year confined in a hospital room (well, at least it had cable—but still—) **

**This is the edited version, as you have all probably noticed when you started reading. I have to warn you though, this is very much different from the first one. Not to mention that the characterization of some characters have dramatically changed. I have given some characters important roles, which means that this is no longer just about Sakura—though the story focuses on her greatly. **

**I understand if some have already abandoned this fic, and I will also understand if any of you abandon this after reading. I'm not forcing anyone. Just enjoy, and please be honest about your reviews.**


	2. A Little Honesty

Chapter 1

**A Little Honesty**

In the morning Sakura was much more clear-headed. Even though the effects of the alcohol were already gone thanks to her chakra, her decision was still the same. She would go back to how her life was a few years ago. She didn't remember being this determined since she went to Sound with Naruto and Jiraiya.

Though now she knew that her last thoughts made her absolutely pitiful. Maybe it was just vulnerability to alcohol, but she didn't want to think like that again. She didn't want to go back to being insecure and lonely, she was going to make things right.

Or maybe it was just depression, yes, that's it. Before she left her apartment she made sure to take as many anti-depressants in her system which was medically allowed.

The day had proceeded as usual though some people in the hospital had commented on her mood, she wasn't that she was happy. No she was far from it, but people still stopped to study her when she was doing her rounds. And the patients that had ignored her before had taken the time to greet her.

She was stumped. She didn't know how to react to the sudden change, so she asked a nurse who she had talked to once or twice in the previous month.

The answer she got surprised her.

"It's in your eyes, I guess the air around you is a bit different today." the nurse admitted shyly. "Some actually think you've got a boyfriend."

She didn't know whether to be insulted or not by the last part but she decided to just accept it. After all, wasn't she just thinking last night how unattractive she was? It wasn't self-pity now though; it was an acceptance of a cold hard fact that wasn't ever going to change.

After her shift Sakura had checked her battered old wristwatch with gold writings on the back she couldn't understand (a present from her mother when she turned 16), the time read three-thirty. Really, she couldn't understand why her mother thought that she would appreciate such a present, it was old and very old-fashioned.

She still had plenty of time to check outside and see how her other batch mates were doing, so she went to her desk's drawer and pulled out a brush and started fixing her hair. This was going to be hard.

And awkward.

She hadn't talked much with any of them for a while.

After clocking out she had decided to go to Ino's first just for the reason that she was the closest girlfriend she had. She had bought a box of cake just to have a reason to give her blond friend of her visit.

When she had finally arrived at the front door Sakura started having doubts. What if her friend wasn't there? What would she do? She bit her lower lip, contemplating whether to continue.

The decision was made for her when someone grabbed her from behind, wrapping her in a tight hug. The movement was so quick she didn't even notice. Sakura felt long slender arms wrap around her that could only belong to a girl or a very effeminate boy. The feel of breasts on her back erased the suspicion of hormonal male perverts.

"It's been a while!!!" Ino gushed from behind.

Careful not to drop the cake she was holding, Sakura turned to her friends and offered a small uncomfortable smile. "Well I've been busy for a while. I clocked-out early today and I decided to bring this." Sakura said holding up the small box of cake.

Ino let her go and took the box. "Thanks, I'd been planning on buying something sweet since I came back, why don't you come in?"

Ino led her inside the store and Sakura watched as Ino took off her green vest, casually dropping it to a chair near the counter. The red stain on the side didn't go unnoticed.

"A mission?" Sakura asked, trying to make her voice sound casual.

"Yeah, I just got back." Ino answered as she went behind the store, presumably to get some plates. When she came back she had a tray with two plates and a small pitcher with two glasses by the side. She set the tray on the counter and motioned for Sakura to go there. The wince Ino showed when she bent down made Sakura frown.

Ino was a medic nin like her. She could treat the wounds she sustained by herself, unless it was too severe that she needed to go to the hospital. Why would she let an injury go untreated?

Ino sliced the cake cleanly with a dagger she plucked out from her pocket. "So, what've you been up to lately? I haven't seen you around much these days."

Sakura didn't answer, her eyes were drawn to the blade that Ino had in her hand. Seeing where her friend's attention was Ino twirled the knife around her elegant fingers. "Don't worry, it's sanitary."

Sakura wanted to ask how she could consider a device which was used plenty of times to slit enemies throats 'sanitary', but she had to bite her tongue. It wouldn't do to insult Ino like that, even if she had watched her friend kill plenty of men with that dagger before. Managing to divert her eyes away from the display, Sakura looked up at Ino just catching the last of her sentence. "What did you ask?"

Ino rolled her eyes causing Sakura to blush a deep crimson. "I was just asking why I haven't seen you around lately. Honestly forehead, you haven't hung out with the gang in ages. Naruto was pretty bitchy in our last night out."

Sakura felt remorse well up inside her on the comment about Naruto, again something she had to settle. It felt like her life had mistakes piled up into a huge mountain threatening to cause an avalanche.

"Um, it's just that…" Just what? What was she going to tell Ino?

"Just?" Ino urged, obviously curious and not bothering to hide the fact.

"I…was busy" Sakura answered lamely.

Ino rolled her eyes at her again. "You suck at lying. Well it doesn't matter." She shrugged indifferently. "Just attend our little gathering this Friday, everyone who isn't on a mission will be there. I'm sure you're just _dying_ to get out of the hospital. I honestly don't get how you could just live like that, treating civilians and all. I'm sure you don't enjoy it very much. Seriously, where's the thrill?"

Sakura didn't know whether Ino knew about the reason of her visit or if she was just _that _good of a friend. It scared her how near the truth her friend was but at the same time she was relieved, at least now she would be able to meet with everyone together.

They talked for over an hour after that. They talk ranged from the women's gossip to the dangerous missions that were being given out to high-ranked shinobis. Ino was a little surprised with her knowledge concerning the missions but Sakura just wagged her finger in front of Ino and casually reminded her that she was a medic, anyone who was seriously injured was brought to her whenever Shizune or the other medics weren't available, which was actually true, though most of the information she had was due to her eavesdropping skill. There was no way in hell she was going to tell Ino that.

With a heavy sigh Sakura told Ino that she was leaving. Ino nodded and walked her out the door.

"Listen, Sakura" surprised at being called by her first name, Sakura turned around to Ino. Ino just gave her a small grin that reminded Sakura of Naruto. "I'm really glad to see you working yourself out."

Looks like she did know why Sakura visited, maybe she just found out during the conversation they had, but nevertheless, Sakura was glad that she had such a friend who understood her at such a level. With a warm smile Sakura nodded.

"Thanks"

* * *

"Have you noticed something different about Sakura lately?"

Shizune looked up from the paperwork she was doing to stare at the Hokage. "What do you mean?"

Tsunade sighed and laid her reading glasses down, something she was forced to acquire considering how much time she spent doing paperwork, and proceeded to rub between her eyes. "All I'm saying is that she seems different, more lively, genuinely willing to mingle with others. It just isn't like her." She paused. "Not that it's a bad thing, but I was just wondering about the reason for the sudden change."

"I actually didn't notice." Shizune answered dryly. "Maybe because I've been stuck in this office doing paperwork." With that she passed another stack of paper to the Hokage.

The Hokage sighed and accepted the papers without as much as a fight. She had learned that fighting _it_ was futile; it just ate her drinking time.

"What brought on this conversation anyway, Tsunade-sama? I'm sure it isn't just because of Sakura's _willingness_ _to mingle_ as you put it."

Tsunade nodded. "You're right, I actually only found out about it from a few doctors in the hospital. They said there was something different about her so I checked. They were right."

"How were they right exactly?" Shizune asked curiously.

With a small grin Tsunade answered. "The fire in her eyes was the same as when I started training her. I think she's going to excel more."

Shizune smiled at the Hokage's fond face. It was obvious how much her master cared for her second pupil, something that she was delighted by. The Hokage finally had someone to treat as a daughter. Even though she was the first student she could never fill that role, so they had decided to treat each other as friends.

"Would you like to help her?" Shizune asked.

Tsunade raised a brow, a small smirk dancing on her lips. "I think I'll let her figure things out by herself, the mistakes she's made – though I'm pretty sure she's figured it by now."

"Fine, just asking." Shizune pulled out a few more stacks of paper below her table and arranged it neatly before giving half to the Hokae. "We still have more to do."

With a dubious look on her face the Hokage asked "Where do you get these?"

Shizune just returned the Hokage's earlier smirk.

* * *

Sakura didn't know what to feel. Here she was, drinking and laughing with her friends, and just having simple fun, but somehow it felt incomplete. Naruto's natural exuberance did nothing to help her feel at ease with them. Why was this happening now?

Not everyone was able to attend their little gathering, just Naruto, Ino, Chouji, Tenten and Shino. It didn't feel right. There were so many empty chairs, and she took the effort to bring lots of food. Sure, Naruto and Chouji were pigging through the food that she wouldn't have to worry about leftover, but she made the food with all of them in mind.

Maybe the reason for her unease was because she couldn't relate to what they were saying at all, she didn't understand the jokes they passed around, or maybe it was because of the small amount of people surrounding her that trying to blend in was a little hard. Either way; she wasn't enjoying herself just like she thought before. The men that had been eyeing her since she sat down were not helping either. She felt like a piece of meat being inspected by their lecherous eyes.

Normally, she wouldn't have allowed guys to keep staring at her for more than a few minutes, but she just didn't feel jazzed up enough to get up and pick a fight. Plus, she didn't want to ruin the night for everyone. Something that was sure to happen if they were kicked out of the bar if she started a fuss.

She tried her best – she did – but still –

All the smiles and eagerness she showed felt fake as they appeared on her face. She didn't have this kind of trouble when it was only her and Ino. Maybe it was just her face which was no longer used to being so expressive.

A hard thump on her back roused her from her musings. She looked up and saw Naruto's face, lined with worry, for her, apparently. She suddenly felt guilty for trying to deceive her friend; she should have known that he wouldn't be fooled.

"Are you okay, Sakura?" the –chan was missing, and that worried Sakura.

Sakura didn't even bother to put up a smile on her face knowing that it would be useless. "Not really, but I'll be fine."

Naruto glanced around the table, Chouji, Kiba and Ino were all drunk. Tenten was still sober, just barely at least. And Shino still hadn't touched a single bottle of sake. Seemingly making a quick decision, Naruto stood up, his hand pulling Sakura up.

Shino looked up at Naruto and raised a brow.

"I'm taking her home. See you guys tomorrow."

He didn't even wait for Shino's reply, he already was on his way to the exit of the bar before Sakura had time to pick up her purse. She managed to catch up with him before he got out. Gingerly, she held unto his arm. Naruto looked down at her questioningly. Sakura smiled sheepishly and tilted her head to the side, showing him the burly men eyeing her.

It wasn't that she couldn't handle them alone. Despite her lack of regular training she was still capable of taking down untrained men, notwithstanding their size. She just didn't want to fight tonight, not when she was with Naruto. It was better to act like they were together.

Naruto nodded understandingly and gave her an answering grin. He put his arm around her waist gently for added effect. He slightly nuzzled her neck just to see the infuriated faces of the men. Sakura felt his warm breath on her neck and almost flushed in embarrassment by the abruptness of the move.

Sakura had to hold back a giggle. Naruto was just too good with this. Somehow, this position made her comfortable; there was no malice with the way he held her, no ill-intentions, it gave her a moment of peace. It was friendly she decided, very Naruto in fact.

When they got out, both were holding their sides from laughing too hard, Naruto mostly. "Did you see their faces?" he laughed harder. "They looked like they were going to attack me!"

Sakura got control over her laughter, but the wide smile still remained on her face. "I can't believe that you did that!"

He shrugged casually and started walking, his grin still in place. They walked in comfortable silence until they managed to get away from the busy town. Once they were already isolated in street Naruto turned to her and leaned on one of the posts. "So, are you ready to talk?" his face was still calm, serene in fact, this only made Sakura more sure that he was serious.

Sakura sighed and proceeded to walk. "You're quite tactless, has anyone told you that?" she eyed him and raised a brow.

His grin got wider. "I believe I've been told a couple of times before." he said teasingly.

"Fine" Sakura moved beside him and made herself comfortable. "Well, what do you want to ask?"

"Well, let's start with when you started ignoring us" Sakura winced guiltily at him, her big emerald eyes glistening. "And after that, let's continue to your sudden decision to be with us again."

His use of _us_ made Sakura feel like she didn't belong. She knew that a barrier had been created between her and other friends, but to have him acknowledge it – even if it was done unconsciously – created a huge lump in her throat. Granted, he didn't really understand the ramification of what he said, but somehow, that only made it more painful.

"You know the reason why I…ignored you guys for so long" he was already to protest but Sakura held her hand up, successfully stopping whatever he had to say. "I know, it wasn't a good excuse to ditch you guys like that but…I just couldn't take it anymore." she said, her eyes downcast.

"What do you mean?" Confusion shoed on his face. Oh, right. He still thought that she abandoned them because of what happened with Sai.

She let out an acidic chuckle, when she looked at Naruto she could see that he was taken aback. He rarely heard her let out a sound like that, so cynical, so contemptuous, so much like Sasuke.

"What I mean Naruto" she tried to reign back the cynicism but she couldn't manage to hold it back completely. "is that while you were going up the ladder of happiness and fulfillment I was stranded in one place, barely able to move on, I'm useless."

"Sakura.." his voice was filled with painful understanding. "Just because of that?"

She felt he insides go cold and she could only see red. "Only that?" she hissed viciously. "Do you have any idea what I had to go through before?" she stopped herself before she could shout at him and took a deep breath.

He still didn't say anything so she continued her previous tirade, though it was more subdued.

"Naruto, when Sasuke left you know that I realized how weak I was, right?" he nodded cautiously. "There's no need to tread carefully with that topic. I know it and I've come to accept it. But anyway, when Sasuke left I trained. You don't know how hard…I wanted to be strong so that when you came back I could be on equal footing with you. I achieved that. When you came back – well, I would still remember how shocked you were when I cracked the ground." She giggled a bit.

Then she smirked sadly. "But that changed pretty quickly, didn't it? I had felt content at the time. But you guys, you bloomed even more. I thought I could still catch up. I couldn't. You guys kept on improving and I was still stuck where I was. I couldn't catch up."

Tears were already flowing through her face. She didn't wipe them away, not when he already saw them.

A warm hand held Sakura's shoulder gently, she looked at Naruto appreciatively, a small cheerless smile playing on her lips. "Do you understand now?"

"You aren't pathetic, you're better at me in a lot of things." he assured her, and then he gave her a toothy grin. "I barely even graduated the academy. You shouldn't be the one worrying about your abilities."

This did little to cheer her up. She knew that Naruto was well-aware of how weak she was now, but as a loyal, unwavering friend, he wouldn't say anything which he thought would be a blow to her self-esteem. What he said was pointless since they both knew that she didn't have any special skills to take her to the next level. She as the weakest link in their team even before Sasuke had left, having a teammate who had a strong bloodline limit while the other a vessel for a monster which he could borrow chakra from, made her feel lacking, not to mention the genius of a sensei they had.

As if sensing her thoughts Naruto squeezed her shoulder gently. "Stop thinking like that." she looked up at him questioningly. "The way you're brows furrow like that, it means you're thinking something idiotic, stop it." he explained.

She moved away from him, lightly brushing her hand to his. "I think we should stop here for today. You wouldn't want completely ruin the night, would you?"

He frowned, clearly unwilling to let her go just yet. He seemed to weigh things on his head before he nodded. "Fine. But be sure to talk to Kakashi-sensei and Sai, I'm sure it'd help."

Sakura raised a brow, amused. It was astonishing to see Naruto giving advice that almost seemed decent. Though if she was right, he had been thinking of this for a while now. She rolled her eyes. "Fine, I was planning on doing that anyways."

Sakura leaned up to brush her lips lightly to Naruto's cheek. "Goodnight. Be sure to sleep early tonight. I heard Tenten say that you had an important mission tomorrow."

He nodded in accord. "Yeah, everyone's been going out on missions a lot more recently, some are even talking about a possibility of war. With all these clashes going around that seems quite plausible."

"What countries are involved?" she asked, curious despite herself. Maybe they could talk for a bit more.

"Well, the main players are the Five Great Countries, but we really don't have to worry about Suna, we have good relations with them over there." he said with a casual shrug. "It's more of the other countries we should be wary about; they wouldn't hesitate to attack us if we give them even the slightest reason to."

"What are the reasons why this started?" she asked, a small frown on her forehead.

"That's what most people are trying to figure out, this had to have started somewhere, a disagreement in a meeting, a misunderstanding between the leaders, or the citizens fighting. There's been none of that, no underground activities are even involved as far as we know, and believe me, there are a _lot_ of people investigating for anyone to miss anything."

"You mean this problem just appeared out of nowhere?" she asked incredulously.

"Yeah" he seemed to realize that he had already said too much since he smiled charmingly, trying to distract her. He kissed her gently on the forehead, his hot mouth lingering a few more seconds than necessary. If someone had walked past them that instant, they would have been mistaken for lovers. Finally he retreated from her. "Don't worry, it doesn't suit you, we'll be able to settle this soon, hopefully anyway, but there's no need to be pessimistic, we have enough people doing that already."

"Sure" she murmured.

They continued to walk down the road like they had done earlier. Naruto didn't bother bringing up anymore uncomfortable topics. Sakura got the feeling that he was satisfied, for the night at least. She was thankful, two down and more than a dozen more to go, at least those two were Naruto and Ino she told herself wryly.

When they were only a block away from her apartment a black bird flew swiftly to Naruto, a message tied at its back.

Naruto took it without hesitation, his long fingers brushing the bird's head affectionately before letting it fly again. Once the bird disappeared Naruto opened the letter, as he read further down, Sakura noticed the way his eyes widened marginally and his hands clench the piece of paper.

Sakura didn't know why but she was sure that the news was as dreadful as Naruto's face implicated. She took his hand in hers and whispered urgently. "What is it?"

Naruto looked at her, his face struck with horror.

"It's Kakashi-sensei, he's in the hospital."

**A/N: If you have any questions just ask me, okay? At leats i still have readers. I hope you guys enjoyed this.**


	3. Anger and Guilt

Chapter 2

**Anger and Guilt**

"What do you mean we can't?!"

Sakura flinched as Naruto's loud voice echoed in the Hokage's office.

It seemed so long ago when she and Naruto received the news of Kakashi's near-death experience, when in fact it had only been a few days. She and Naruto had both been tense as they waited for any more news from the doctors in the waiting hospital lobby. Luckily, their ex-teacher had survived, though just barely. He was still unconscious, and Sakura couldn't help but think that he wouldn't be out in any missions for a while.

Aside from sustaining a huge gaping hole in chest, limbs which were almost severed, organs which were pretty beaten up (Shizune had to do some transplant since some of his organs couldn't be repaired anymore) and plenty of cuts and bruises all over his body that would definitely leave marks, he also suffered from a rather strong blow to the head which was the reason for him being comatose for the time-being. Shizune had said that they couldn't really find out the extent of damage until he was awake, and that would take some time.

She looked at Naruto again, he really wasn't faring well, though she couldn't say any better about herself. Her eyes were bloodshot and her face looked stressed with all the lines on her forehead and the thick black lines under her eyes were a testament to the three days she hadn't slept.

"I don't want any more shinobis dying, do you hear me?!" the Hokage's voice was almost equally as loud as Naruto's, if only just a little louder.

The sneer that crossed Naruto's face was so unlike him that it froze up Sakura's insides. "Funny you should say that." he said resentfully. "After all, aren't shonobis supposed to die?" he took a deep breath and added cuttingly. "You're supposed to see to that, right?"

Sakura blinked up in confusion, the sudden turn of the conversation was treading into unfamiliar territory. But she knew that her teammate had gone too far. This was the first time that he and the Hokage had a screaming match like this, and it was also the first time that Naruto had insulted her so much, usually all the name-calling and insults were just teasing, but Sakura knew that there was something she was not getting here, and she was goint o stop this fight before it took a turn for the worse..

Tsunade paled and her eyes widened considerably, but managed to recover herself quickly and a blank mask settled on her face. When she spoke again her voice was calmer and smoother as she said coolly. "For the country. You can _die_ for the country, not for some petty reason as revenge."

"So I don't have any free will now?"

The Hokage banged her closed fist on her table, the sound making another round of ear-splitting noise go around the room.

"No. You gave that to the country the moment you took on that head band on your forehead" she retorted harshly, her fingers pointing Konoha's seal on Naruto's forehead.

Naruto looked like he would argue, he was eyeing the finger pointed at him as if he was contemplating on cutting it, Sakura had no doubt that he would, if he could. But she had had enough.

"Stop it." her voice was laced with as much power as the two of them. "Let's stop this now. We just came here to ask the Hokage what happened to Kakashi-sensei, nothing more." She said, reminding Naruto of their original plan.

The Hokage's honey brown eyes were now focused on her. "I told you earlier, that's classified information."

"The hell it is! What's got you so secretive! He was almost _destroyed_ out there on a mission _you_ sent him to. I thought everyone was just sent on missions to gather information." Naruto yelled, as an afterthought he added. "It looked like you sent him to a suicide mission and he survived." His tone was sarcastic.

Tsunade stiffened at that.

Both Sakura and Naruto looked at her in shock. "He was right? It was a suicide mission?" Sakura asked faintly.

The Hokage sighed. "It was his decision. We really needed the information he was supposed to acquire."

"Supposed to?" Naruto asked sharply. "He didn't get it?"

The Hokage's silence answered it more clearly than she would have if she talked.

Naruto sat down on the chair weakly. "But why him?"

"I promised him that I wouldn't tell you but I think I should let you know, just in case." She took a deep breath while both Naruto and Sakura looked expectantly at the stern woman's face. "He rejoined the Black Ops" They gasped. "He was the only man for the job who had the skill and the willingness to go."

"But he didn't have to! I'm sure that there are other--"

"That's enough, Sakura!" Tsunade scowled at her, finally at the end of her rope. "This may be news to you since you've been sulking for the past year, but we're on the brink of war. You have no say in this matter. Shinobi of all ranks are being sent all over the five great countries to find information that will help Konoha. What do you expect?! That I'd spare some shinobi because they're important to you and risk the country's safety?"

"Stop that! Sakura doesn't need this, especially from you--"

"Do you expect me to pamper her?!" Tsunade shouted. "Do you know how many lives could have been saved if she had only had the good sense to accept the missions offered to her? I trained her for this! And she declined."

"It's her right!"

"You have no rights!"

She sat back down on her chair and gave Naruto a glare of dismissal. "Get out of my office, _now_. I've already told you more than you should know."

Naruto threw her a resentful glare before going out of the office and loudly closing the door behind him. The loud bang had left Sakura's ears ringing, but she tried to focus on the woman in front of her, her earlier words still ringing in her ears.

"Is there anything you need, Hokage-sama?" she asked stiffly.

Tsunade threw her a vicious look, obviously still steaming form her scream fest with Naruto. "I want you to watch him at all times. He is not to leave the Gates, if he ever tries to go near it you should incapacitate him and bring him to Ibiki. If you even do anything crazy with him I'll have _both_ of you go to Ibiki. Am I clear?"

"Crystal" Sakura answered coolly.

She could understand the woman's dilemma, with how Naruto looked earlier she was willing to bet that he was about to do something reckless. All of his hard-earned self-control was gone the instant the Hokage had told him that their ex-teacher had rejoined the Black Ops.

But despite all the reasons she was given, she still felt a monster eating up her insides. The hokage's words had were like rusted knives stabbing her whole being. She was right though. She had been selfish…and she had no right to think ill of her when there was something she could have done herself.

Tsunade's eyes softened at her affirmative. "Watch him carefully. I don't want him to do anything he'll regret later."

Sakura nodded carefully. She was planning on doing that without the Hokage telling her.

"Good. You may leave now."

Sakura made her way to the door but the Hokage stopped her. Sakura turned and couldn't help but show her glassy eyes.

"What I said earlier…it was uncalled for. I'm sorry."

"It's okay."

But even though she said that, she knew that no apology would ever remove the pain that those words had caused her. Reality was not such an easy thing to escape.

--------------------

"I can't believe the nerve of that woman!" Naruto yelled, moving across his small apartment and picking up random things and placing it on the small bag on his hand. He looked up at Sakura who was sitting on his couch and looking at him intently. "How could you stay so calm?" he asked accusingly.

After a second of contemplation, she answered tiredly. "There's nothing to worry about for the meantime, Kakashi-sensei is going to live, we should at least be thankful of that. Seeking revenge doesn't do anything."

He seemed to inflate at her words and for the first time since they found out about Kakashi, Sakura could see traces of tears threatening to fall from his eyes.

"I know. But we came so close to losing him." He said brokenly. "I can't shake of the panic." He smiled ruefully at her then his face hardened. "And to think that he rejoined those—those—"

"I know"

"And what she said to you--"

"She was right Naruto. I could have helped, but I didn't. Thus, I have no right to be angry with her. But we should just focus on Kakashi-sensei's case."

He sighed. "Well, I guess he must have his reason, but not informing us…that was harsh." He tried to shrug casually but his shoulders were still too stiff.

Really, Sakura was also wondering why she wasn't feeling as much dread as Naruto. This was the first time they had come close to losing their teacher like that, all without warning too. Their missions before—the damage that was done to him—they were nothing compared to what had happened to him now. And the worst part was that the two of them weren't with him. They were both now painfully aware that their teacher rejoined the Anbu Black Ops. Apparently, since they were short on men they decided to recall him back to duty.

The war that Naruto mentioned before seemed all the more real now.

"Sakura-chan"

Sakura lifted her eyes and met Naruto's, she didn't like the evil glint that his eyes took on.

She really hated it when he looked like that. Because she knew that she wouldn't be able to deny whatever crazy thought crossed his mind.

"Where's the next Anbu exam?" he asked innocently.

It took her a moment to realize what he was implying. "No. No. _No_" she gasped. "You can't just do this you crazy idiot! What would Kakashi-sensei think?!"

It was a taboo for them. When they were fifteen their ex-teacher had made them swear that they wouldn't go any further than Anbu, well for Naruto there was always the goal of being Hokage but they were forbidden to join anything further than Anbu, it was a rule for both of them, no Black Ops, no ROOTS, and certainly no other shady organization within the village. Kami knew that there were plenty. And most of them were notorious of making rational shinobis insane. Look at Sai for crying out loud! He was the walking embodiment of what happens when shinobis got too close to fire.

They gave Kakashi their word of honor that they wouldn't taint themselves like that. They would remain as innocent as shinobis were allowed to. It didn't help that recruitment season for these organizations were mostly was during the Anbu exams.

And for the love of God, Sakura couldn't understand why Naruto was implying that he would break their promise now.

"No" he sounded dismayed that she came to that conclusion. "It isn't what you think, I was just suggesting that we corner a few of them and ask about what Kakashi-sensei's mission was…"

_So that we know who to take revenge on_. That part was left unsaid, though Sakura was pretty sure that that was what he wanted to say. He was becoming such a hypocrite.

"Aren't you the one who told Sasuke that revenge won't take him anywhere?"

He nodded, not the tiniest bit deterred. "This isn't mostly about payback. This is also partly my curiosity." He told her, his voice hard. "I want to know how they managed to convince Kakashi-sensei to go back to them. We both know how he detested his life before, and even if Tsunade-baachan told us that he volunteered I can't just believe that he'd—" he broke off and brushed his hair back, frustrated.

Sakura considered that. "Fine, but we're going about this carefully. I don't want sloppy plan." Sakura said, deciding to give up.

He looked at her, his eyes alight with hope, a bright grin stretching his face. And Sakura realized why he could never ever deny Naruto.

"Thanks Sakura-chan."


	4. Friends are Always There

**A/N: Phew! I've finished passing everything in school! All my exams and presentations are finished. I'm only waiting for the announcement of the honor list…and graduation. It's been fun, goodbye high school!**

* * *

**Chapter 3**

**Friends are Always There**

Everything around Sakura was now sent into a wave of well thought-out pandemonium. She had planned everything she was supposed to do from Monday to Sunday. Talking to her other friends were now at the back of her mind. What was important was that she and Naruto were ready to take on some Anbu Black Ops in about a month. And she was still weak, hence the training program she made for herself.

She woke up early, before the birds even chirped, and started training. After she was sure that her body had had enough she would ready herself to work in the hospital. She still had to pay the rent, she couldn't forget that. Then, when she got back she would practice with her charka. And on Sundays she would spar with Naruto. It was like her Genin days all over again.

Though despite al her efforts, Sakura was afraid that she wouldn't stand a chance against anyone from the elite of the Anbu. The best she could do was to try. They had to find out why their ex-teacher was sent to his death, and who was responsible for almost killing him. She and Naruto had an inkling that the ones causing the near-war was also the same one who had hurt their teacher.

They simply had to find out. They were never this driven before—except maybe when they were looking for Sasuke—but that was a different matter all together.

Another good thing was that she had already officially made up with Sai. It still confused her whenever she remembered it. How easy it had been…

_Sakura fidgeted with a button on her blouse, Naruto was beside her giving her an amused look. He held_ _hand and removed it from the button she was abusing. _

"_Some would think that you want to take off your clothes." He said good-naturedly. "There's no need to tempt the old men around here."_

_He was right of course, the men were looking in their direction. And most of them had their wives with them who were glaring at Sakura, quite fiercely, as a matter of fact._

_She flushed under their gazes and pinched Naruto's leg. "Why didn't you tell me earlier?" She knew that she shouldn't have fussed so much with what she wore. She had even shocked Naruto when he saw her, his mouth had hung open and she knew that she didn't imagine the admiration that twinkled in his eyes. _

_She had worn a simple floral blouse which was matched with a short brown skirt that showed her long slender legs. Her face was touched with a soft blush and her eyes were made more beautiful by the black eyeliner that she applied. Her normally disarrayed hair was now sleek and bouncy on her back. She would have Ino to thank for all of it. _

_They were supposed to meet Sai in a fancy restaurant. Naruto had managed to talk to him and he had agreed to meet them. Sakura didn't manage to stop herself from being fussy that she even asked her best friend to help dress her, she was just too jittery. This would be their first civil meeting after their little incident._

_All the sneaky glances to her didn't stop and Sakura had to fight off the urge to remove her make-up and strip off the outfit that her best friend had lent her to show them her real ugly self._

_Finally, Sai arrived wearing only a simple black button up shirt which was a great contrast to his pale skin and a pair of black slacks which slightly clung to his lean muscled legs. She was shocked with the transformation of his wardrobe. Granted that she didn't exactly expect him to appear wearing the same outfit he wore when they first met almost four years ago, but he didn't expect him to be so—tasteful._

_He nodded at Sakura "Hello ugly" he turned to Naruto "Dickhead"_

_He sat down and made himself comfortable, signaling a waitress to come to their table. He had ordered and now, he gazed intently at Sakura._

_Sakura cleared her throat which all of a sudden felt dry. "You look…different." You act different as well, she wanted to add but refrained from it. When had he started to understand social protocol? Greeting both of them before sitting down. The way he acted, no longer ignorant of how to treat other human beings, though she could still see a hint of his old gullibility in his eyes, she could tell that he was already advanced when it concerned being a people person. _

_Sai smiled his old fake smile. "Thank you" At least some things didn't change, Sakura thought with relief._

_An uncomfortable silence swept by them and Sakura had to wonder why Naruto was so quiet, he was usually the one who filled out the silences that other people with him caused. She casually turned her eyes to him questioningly. _

_He didn't answer._

_And this put Sakura slightly on edge, though she loathe to admit it. Quite frankly, she didn't know how to deal with this. All her memorized lines earlier had flown out of her mind the moment she saw Sai, the only way she'd be able to talk properly was if she was earnest – something she was not keen on doing, at least until she renewed her friendship with Sai and was certain that he still saw her as such. Things were already rocky between them before – with all the name-calling it was impossible not to – but now she wasn't certain anymore._

"_Sai" her voice sounded weird even to her own ear. "I know I haven't been acting like a real friend for the past few years, and I completely understand if you hate me but I just want you to know that I still want you as a friend." everything she kept inside flew out in a rush " And I hope you want me as one too." She murmured quietly, her voice barely heard. But she knew that his shinobi-trained ears caught it._

_When she looked up she was a bit relieved to see that his face only looked pensive, not the blank stare he usually wore or an irritated one like she expected._

_Finally, he smiled at her. Not the bogus one he usually sported, but a real one. _

_And with that simple action he had fixed everything, they were team 7 again. The rift which formed between them was no more and she wanted to laugh. But the beam which was obviously on her face would have sufficed. _

_When Sakura looked at Naruto she saw his wide smile. His eyes sparkled with something Sakura recognized when they were children, back when Sasuke was with them. And she had no doubt that he was thinking the same as her. Despite Sasuke not being there she could only think of one thing._

_Team 7 was really back again. _

_Sai was the one who broke the lovely moment. "So…have you finally realized the idiocy of hiding yourself away from us?"_

_Sakura grew red in the face. "I did not hide myself, I just …"_

And it started a whole conversation of her trying to salvage her pride, or what was left of it anyway. She couldn't count the times she had to get down on her knees and all but beg for them to forgive her, not literally of course. But she had been embarrassed too much that night. At least it was worth the shame, having her boys again had relieved her in levels she didn't want to explore. That she grew so dependent on them was ludicrous, but it was the truth.

And though Sai was habitually an ice cube -- or maybe a rock was more of an apt description – he was there with her, a friend willing to both put up with her and Naruto's crazy ideas and actually act on them, that was why it didn't come to her as too much a surprise when he had agreed to join their plan.

After all those years of opening his eyes to the flaws of the rulers of the village he became more lenient with civil disobedience. The fact that he was closer to Kakashi after the years they had worked together may have also been a reason. Either way he was helping, and that mattered to Sakura.

A knock came to her door.

Sakura frowned, her eyes narrowed in confusion. She hadn't invited anyone today, never have for a long time now that she thought about it.

Getting up from her position from her couch she warily went to the door. She didn't sense anyone outside, it was either a civilian or a high ranking shinobi, she hoped it wasn't the latter. Ever since she started her training again she had become jumpy around the Hokage's guards.

When she opened the door she was surprised to see Shino. It wasn't the fact that he wore the Anbu uniform that left her astonished. She had somehow expected him to go high up in the ranks of a shinobi since their Genin days. It was the way he was looking at her that worried her. Even though he was wearing his usual black glasses she could sense the cold glare he was sending her. Not exactly the way she wanted to reunite with him.

"Can I help you?" she asked, managing to keep her tone of polite curiosity.

He raised an elegant eyebrow, he held up a note in front of her. Sakura took it and read it cautiously.

**Shino,**

**Hi! I know I haven****'****t seen you in a while but I want to invite you to lunch at my place tomorrow. **

**The guys will be here as well.**

**See you, Shin-Shin,**

**Sakura**

**P.S**

**I heard you had a fun time in the hot springs last time, I really wish I was there. Maybe next time we could invite our senseis too.**

Sakura handed the note back to Shino, her mind swirling with ideas. It was her handwriting, but she could swear that she didn't write to him. As a matter of fact, she didn't manage to contact him ever since her voluntary isolation.

But that left the question of who faked her writing. And she didn't know why Shino was so angry because of it. She read the note, and she was pretty sure that she didn't have any nickname for him. Casting him a brief glance she could gather that _Shin-Shin_ didn't look particularly pleased with her.

A code?

Maybe. But who would pass a code to Shino and make it seem like it was her? And what did it all mean?

"I didn't think you had it in you." He said quietly, and if she heard right, he said it disdainfully, but it was hard to tell with Shino. "So, where are the others?"

Sakura gave her a baffled stare, then she noticed a few shadows above the apartment near them.

Spies

Making a quick decision, Sakura smiled. "They're inside. Why don't you come in?"

He went in. After locking the door Sakura made a few seals. The house glowed of her charka briefly before it went back to its normal color.

The apartment was sealed.

"What is the meaning of this?" Sakura asked.

He didn't answer her and opted to look at her doubtfully.

Growing annoyed Sakura snapped at him. "Listen, whoever wrote that to you, I can assure you it isn't me." She took a deep breath then continued. "So get whatever crap you're thinking about now out of your head. I can tell that it's somewhat bothering you but don't take it out on me, some shinobi you are." She said spitefully. "You can't even figure out if it's a fake or not."

He still didn't look like he believed her but he seemed calmer now. Her genuine anger must have at least convinced him, even if just a little. After a brief moment he finally asked: "Where's Naruto?"

"I don't know." She frowned. "Do you think he-"

"If it isn't you then I'm sure it's him." He retorted easily. She noticed how easy it was for him to push the blame on somebody else but didn't give it much thought.

"But why would he-"

"Look, I don't know, okay? Please stop pestering me while I think."

Her eyes widened despite herself. Her eyes narrowed, and she watched Shino closely. She had thought him angry earlier because he was so uptight, but now that she actually studied him, she could tell that he was…anxious. For his standards at least.

He suddenly looked up and stared at her. Unnerved by his stare, she took an involuntary step back. "What is it?"

"Are you part of Naruto's crazy scheme?"

Taken aback, Sakura answered without thinking. "Wha-?"

Apparently her slip was enough to convince him. "He's taken it upon himself to rally a few…helpers." His eyes behind the dark shades gazed at her intently. "His taking a huge risk, you know."

"What do you mean?" Sakura asked, puzzled.

He sighed. "I should have known that you two had just dived into this plan without thinking about it thoroughly."

"That's not true-"

"Listen for a bit, okay?" There was that anxious tone in his voice again. It shut Sakura up pretty quickly. "Naruto has grown up a lot since we were Genins, I admit that much. He has risen to the top because of his abilities, mostly. But do you know why he's had a smooth rise?"

Sakura frowned, not knowing where he was taking this. Naruto's journey hadn't been easy. He had suffered, faced deaths and sacrifices that she couldn't even dream about. Not to mention that he had suffered plenty of betrayals from comrades, not just Sasuke. He had learned to deal with that too, he had learned that not everyone could be and was supposed to be forgiven – he had killed them all.

On his path to becoming stronger he had tasted pain and helplessness, she had been there to witness some of it. He knew that things were never and would never be easy for him, he had anticipated that. He had faced that. And she knew deep down in her heart and mind that he will face similar happenings in the future.

So she couldn't even begin to comprehend what Shino was trying to suggest.

"I'm afraid I don't understand."

"It's because of his connections." Before Sakura could speak out he continued. "He is close with the Godaime, you cannot deny that he has had numerous favors granted throughout the years. The fact that he is also Jiraiya-sama's student makes him a favorite to some of the higher ups-"

"A favorite to some enemies as well."

He nodded. "I can't deny that. But you have to admit that some things he did in the past were not exactly legal. Brushing off the Captain's orders, running around however he pleased, and in general, doing what he wanted." He paused for some breath. "How do you think he has been able to continue doing this without being put into one of the prisons of Konoha? Not to mention how easy it was for the citizens here to trust him. It isn't just his natural charm you know" he gave her a wry smile.

"Because of the…Godaime?"

Then she remembered that Naruto had had a fight with her. Could she have been –

"Was she the one who sent those guys after you?"

"Yes. When Naruto approached me I have become one of their targets. They suspect something. Please make sure that Naruto knows that."

"He probably does already."

"Then tell him so that he could understand. There is a difference between just knowing and actually understanding, something he has continuously misunderstood for years."

Sakura sat down helplessly on a chair. "What do you want me to do?"

"Make him see sense-"

"But we can't just do that, you know how he is-"

"Please let me finish first. I was going to add 'or help him come up with a plan not easily discovered'. I know that Sai is going to help you two, ask him for some suggestions. It is not wise to go against the Hokage, especially when she currently isn't pleased with Naruto. The two of them might be close, but that doesn't change the fact that she could make his life hell." And _yours_ too was left unsaid, but it hung heavily in the air between them.

Sakura shivered. Yes, the Godaime – despite her niceness with Naruto – was actually a very vicious person. She had seen different sides of her teacher: the responsible guardian, the trustful friend, the intelligent teacher and the murderous Sannin. The last one was something she had only seen once. It had scared the wits out of her. Just remembering the cool glare she had on her face and the calmness that made everyone around her sure that she was aware of every little thing she did, was enough to remind her that her sensei's past life was not some walk along the park.

"I'll pass the message."

"Thank you"

There was a pause before Sakura asked. "Is the Godaime also displeased with me?"

"Fortunately, no. She thinks that you are keeping tabs on him. She still doesn't know that you and Naruto are as close as before." He hesitated before adding. "And she thinks that you are above such stupidity."

Sakura winced. "It's good to be underestimated every once in a while."

"Perhaps"

He went to the door, his hands already forming seals to counteract her earlier 'lock' on the house.

Before he could leave Sakura cleared her throat to gain his attention. He tilted his head to how that he was listening.

"Does this mean that you won't help us?"

There was a short pause before he answered. "Yes. But only until you have a better plan. I'm afraid that what he explained to me was not satisfactory." He turned to her. "This isn't like one of our Genin missions, where it was okay to rush in blindly. We are going to fight with fellow Konoha shinobi, people who are also bent on protecting this country. I'm afraid that Naruto would have a tough time figuring out how to get information out of them without killing them."

Sakura nodded numbly.


End file.
